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Venus and Cupid (Sleeping Venus) was painted by Artemisia Gentileschi from 1625-1627 in Italy.[1] Venus and Cupid is a depiction of a sleeping Venus, who reclines on a blue bed covering and rich crimson and gold tasseled pillow. She wears nothing except a thin wisp of transparent linen around her thigh. Her son Cupid fans her with richly colored peacock feathers as she drifts to sleep. He is gazing at her with an adored, raptured expression. In the background, there is a window looking out onto a moonlight landscape where a temple to the goddess lies. Venus’s face is comprised of full cheeks, heavy lids, a prominent nose, and small protruding chin—all features of Gentileschi's own face.[2] The body movements are natural: Venus’s hand rests lightly on her side, her legs are gently laid together. The work blends together realism and classicism through its iconography and the artist’s style.[3]
Influences[edit]
Artemisia Gentileschi's artistic style was heavily influenced by her father Orazio Gentileschi. Artemisia worked under her father in his work shop, learning from him. Ignoring the conventions of the time, Orazio sent his daughter to study under his friend Agostino Tassi.[4] Tassi, however, sexually assaulted Gentileschi throughout her tutelage. Although she did take him to court and Tassi was found guilty and exiled, Gentileschi's reputation was effected negatively.[5] Her rape had a large effect on her career and artistic style. Many of her early works, such as Judith Slaying Holofernes reflect her anger towards Tassi and his actions.[6] Some scholars have noted that her works have often been interpreted in regards to her rape and pursuing trial with Tassi.[7] Furthermore, both Artemisia and her father were followers of Caravaggio, and the contrasts of dark and light that Caravaggio and his followers were known for is evident in both paintings.[8]
Sleeping or Reclining Venus Theme[edit]
The Sleeping, or Reclining, Venus theme has been a common trope throughout art history. This is an image of a woman, often Venus but sometimes not, who is reclined or asleep on a couch, bed, or chaise. Ancient versions of the Venus began in Greece with the Venus de Milo. The Venus de Milo depicts a bashful nude Venus, grasping a sagging linen in an attempt to maintain modesty. One of the first depictions of the Reclining Venus in painting was Giorgione’s Sleeping Venus, which forever impacted European art.[9] Giorgione’s Sleeping Venus and its predecessors represent a demure, yet scandalous Venus; she is both naïve in her power and bare to the viewer. While she is often depicted as unaware of her sexual charm, later artists such as Manet in his Olympia have painted her as more vulgar and knowing of her effect.
| Reclining Venus in Western Art | ||
|---|---|---|
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Between 130 and 100 BCE |
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Gentileschi’s Venus and Cupid (Sleeping Venus) presents Venus in the more traditional pose: here she is blissfully sinking off to sleep, both reserved and bold. Gentileschi’s Venus is a product of not only Giorgione and other predecessors, but also her father, Orazio Gentileschi.[10] Gentileschi worked under her father during her childhood and his style had an impact on her own. Orazio’s own ideation of the Reclining Venus, Danaë and the Shower of Gold, seems to have influenced Artemisia’s. Both Orazio’s Danaë and Artemisia’s Venus lay with their right hip on top and their legs slightly crossed and both women lay with a thin wisp of transparent material across their laps.
Notes[edit]
- ^ Mann, Artemisia Gentileschi, 6-8.
- ^ Bissel, Artemisia Gentileschi and the Authority of Art, 48.
- ^ Bissel, Artemisia Gentileschi and the Authority of Art, 48.
- ^ Vigué, Great Women Masters of Art, 64.
- ^ National Museum of Women in Arts, Italian Women Artists, 198.
- ^ Mann, Artemisia Gentileschi, 34.
- ^ National Museum of Women in Arts, Italian Women Artists, 198.
- ^ Vigué, Great Women Masters of Art, 65.
- ^ Kultermann, “Woman Asleep and the Artist”, 137.
- ^ Grabski, "On Seicento Painting in Naples", 56-57.
References[edit]
Bissel, R. Ward. Artemisia Gentileschi and the Authority of Art: Critical Reading and Catalogue Raisonné. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1999.
Grabski, Józef. “On Seicento Painting in Naples: Some Observations on Bernardo Cavallino, Artemisia Gentileschi and Others.” Artibus et Historiae 6, no. 11 (1985): 23-63.
Kultermann, Udo. “Woman Asleep and the Artist.” Artibus et Historiae 11, no. 22 (1990): 129-161.
Mann, Judith W., ed. Artemisia Gentileschi: Taking Stock. Turnhout: Brepols, 2005.
National Museum of Women in the Arts. Italian Women Artists: From Renaissance to Baroque. Milan: Skira Editore S.p.A., 2007.
Vigué, Jordi. Great Women Masters of Art. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications. 2002.